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OFFICE, No. 24 VESEY STREET, 


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CHICAGO: 

printed at the tribune book and job office, 51 clark st 


1867 . 



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[ 









THE AMERICAN 


BUILDING BLOCK 


COMPANY, 


Office, N o. 24 "V"esey Street, 



NEW YORK. 


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CHICAGO: 


PRINTED AT THE 


TKIBUNE BOOK AND JOB OFFICE, 51 CLARK ST. 


1867 . 




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TP?7< 


PRESIDENT : 

GEORGE E. YAH DERBURGH. 


TREASURER: 

SAMUEL BOOTH. 


SECRETARY: 

WILLIAM RAD 0 LIEF. 


TRUSTEES: 


JOHN GREACEN, Jr. 

GEO. A. MAYHEW. 
SAMUEL BOOTH. 

GEO. E. VAN DERBURGH. 


JAMES MYERS. 

BENJAMIN BLACKLEDGE. 
THOMAS W. STRONG. 
JOHN B. SNOOK. 


J. P. KNAPP. 







THE AMERICAN BUILDING BLOCK. 


A good, durable material for the construction of buildings, that combines facility 
of manufacture, cheapness, beauty of color and shape, convenience in handling, 
resistance against changes of atmosphere, and complete fitness for the uses for 
which it is intended, has been a want so well understood, that much time, capital 
and labor have been devoted to its attainment. 

The Building Blocks manufactured by this Company are believed to fully and 
completely meet all the above requirements. 

These Blocks are easily and rapidly made, each machine being capable of turning 
out about five thousand per day, and three or four machines may be run by one 
steam engine of thirty-horse power. 

They are composed of the cheapest known materials—mainly sand and lime—and 
are made in such form and size that walls can be constructed from them as cheaply 
as with good common brick. 

In their external appearance these Blocks make a building of unsurpassed 
beauty. The shape is entirely uniform, with sharp, well-defined lines, and they 
can be made of every variety of shade, from a pure white to a dark brown stone 
color. 

These Blocks, as now manufactured, are ten inches long, five inches wide, and 
four inches thick, containing two hundred cubic inches, and weighing about eleven 
pounds each ; they have an air-chamber running through the centre, which 
facilitates the handling of them, both in transportation and in their construction 
into buildings. 

The fact that air is one of the best non-conductors, and a wall built with these 
Blocks having air-chambers running vertically through the entire wall, shows 
conclusively that changes of temperature will be less felt in houses constructed 
from them than in those built of any other material. 

The Blocks, from the nature of the material used, and the severe pressure to 
which they are subjected in process of manufacture, are very durable in their 
character, as it is a well known and established fact that mortar composition, 
properly made, is the most enduring of all substances, withstanding exposure for 
centuries, and constantly growing harder by atmospheric changes, until it becomes 
a perfect stone. 

These Blocks have been subjected to every conceivable test—have been immersed 
in water until they have absorbed all the moisture which they could hold, and in 
that condition have been exposed to severe frosts and then thawed, and the same 
process repeated again and again. After being subjected to all the alterations of 
the atmosphere, the result in all cases has but proved the indestructibility of the 
Block. And it is believed to possess all the enduring qualities of the old Roman 
mortars, which have existed unchanged for over three thousand years, except to 
become harder and harder. 



2 


Blocks identical in shape and size , but not in hardness, known as the Foster 
Block, and composed of much the same materials as those manufactured by this 
Company, have, fortunately for the actual test of of their durability, been made, 
and houses built from them ten or eleven years ago. These houses are stronger 
and better to-day than when first erected. The material would long since have 
been in general use, but for the difficulties and obstacles which have now, happily, 
been overcome by means of devices and improvements which are covered by 
several Letters Patent owned by this Company. The Block, as before stated, is 
mainly composed of lime and sand, and is moulded under immense pressure; but in 
addition to the pressure, the Blocks as formerly made, required time to become 
sufficiently hard to be fit for use: this was an objection. The machines used to 
mould them were presses made in various ways, not one of which proved strong 
enough to do the work for any profitable length of time. This was a very serious 
obstacle. And the fact of the Blocks being insufficiently solidified by pressure, and 
the want of experience and knowledge in the manipulation and after-treatment 
of the materials forming the Blocks, caused some of them to be made of an inferior 
quality, which did the composition injustice, and has retarded their general intro¬ 
duction. 

The first of these difficulties has been overcome by improvements in the compo¬ 
sition and mode of treating the mixture before and after pressure. 

The second has been overcome by the invention of a machine so constructed as 
to produce all the density attainable. 

The theory of this composition, relative to its strength and durability, is simple 
and easily understood, and has been fully demonstrated to be practically aud 
chemically true. 

Glean, sharp sand, when brought in contact with caustic lime in correct pro¬ 
portions, and under right conditions, with proper manipulation and after-treatment, 
produces a partial decomposition of the sand, by which silicate of lime is generated 
—an indispensable condition , and an invariable result. In this condition the composition 
is ready for the mould and the press. The Block thus formed, when exposed to the 
air, gradually parts with a portion of its moisture, and begins to absorb carbonic 
acid from the air, for which the lime has an affinity. This process goes on slowly, 
a portion of the water present, and that afterwards absorbed, being chemically 
taken up and combined iu the form of crystallization. This process goes on until 
the interstices of the stone are filled up, and the Block becomes non-absorbent, 
growing harder for years, by the action and effect of the very agents that 
destroy freestone, marble, brick, etc., viz., water, frost, and carbonic acid from 
the atmosphere. 

The novel form of this Block, having an air-chamber running vertically through 
the centre of each Block, six inches long by one inch wide, is so arranged as to 
secure a circulation of air through the entire wall, operating as a perfect non¬ 
conductor of moisture, cold and heat, making a perfectly dry wall inside, a cool 
house in summer and a warm one in winter. 

This perforation likewise facilitates the seasoning or hardening of the Block 
evenly and thoroughly, presenting more surface to the action of the elements that 
perfect the Block. The size of the Block above alluded to is considered, for gen¬ 
eral purposes, the most convenient, but the manufacturer is by no means confined to 
it ; for it is contemplated to make all sizes, from that of the common brick to the 
ordinary sized brown stone and marble fronts, plain or fancy, as it may be moulded 
in any desired form, and is therefore adapted to all kinds of buildings, as churches, 
halls, factories, houses, stores, cottages, stables, barns, or any other class of build- 


3 


ings, including bridges, sewers, docks, water and drain pipe, lawn and garden 
ornaments, tiles, statuary, vaults, ornamental work, etc., combining, it is believed, 
more positive advantages than any other building material now in use. 

While this Block has heretofore been rather imperfectly made, it has stood the 
test of time and the elements. Ample evidence is at hand to prove to the entire 
satisfaction of the most skeptical, the durability of the Block. Buildings constructed 
ten years since from it, have clearly demonstrated its indestructibility. The intelli¬ 
gent, practical mason, familiar with its component parts, admits it to be reliable; 
and those learned in the science of chemistry, pronounce it imperishable; and the 
only reason why this material has not been more generally introduced to the public 
for building purposes, was for the want of proper machinery to manufacture tbe 
Blocks. 

Years of time and thousand of dollars have been expended in efforts to reach the 
point where we now stand. We are now prepared to offer to the public the 
results—a building material which possesses the following merits, many of which 
are peculiar to itself : 

1. Its material composition is such that, so long as the laws of chemistry hold 
good, time will but make it more durable. 

2. It is made in such form, and with such exactness of outline and dimensions, that 
walls built with it give complete protection against atmospheric changes, and are 
fire proof. Buildings can be finished cheaper and better than if of brick or wood. 
Interior walls may be left unplastered when desired, or, if plastering be preferred, 
it can be had at one-third of the cost, and of a better and more durable quality 
than by ordinary modes, as a coat of hard finish may be applied directly upon the 
face of the wall, for which it has a strong affinity, attaching itself so firmly that it 
cannot be scaled off, thus saving the expense of studding, furring, lathing, and two 
coats of plaster, and leaving no hiding place for vermin that so frequently find 
shelter in a lath-and-plastered wall. The saving of the item of plaster is estimated 
to be about seven-eighths over the quantity required in constructing a brick lath- 
and-plastered house. There is another advantage gained, which is, the certainty 
of having walls that will never crack in the plaster. 

3. The affinity of mortar for the material—both being of the same nature—is 
such that the bond is much stronger than in the case with brick or stone. In this 
respect the superiority is so great that it must be seen to be fully realized, as a 
wall built from this material becomes, in fact, one compact mass of stone. 

4 . The sharpness of outline, the shape and size, the exactness of dimensions 
(which are not warped or impaired by burning, after being moulded), and the color 
of the Blocks, which caa be modified or varied to suit the taste, all furnish the 
skillful architect with means for producing the most beautiful effects. 

For interior of churches and public buildings, designed to be finished in imita¬ 
tion of stone-work, it is most admirably adapted, either for columns, walls or ceil¬ 
ings, especially if arched and groined, as it is not liable to discoloration or crack¬ 
ing, as is the case with lath and plaster. You get all the effects and durability of 
real stone at a small part of the cost, and the subdued color of the Blocks give* 
a tone and quality most grateful to the eye. 


4 


5. The economy attainable by their use is not the least advantage. These Blocks 
may be made wherever good sharp sand can be found, (the places where sand is 
not obtainable are rare), in sections where there is neither stone nor clay for 
bricks, and in such districts the value of these inventions can hardly be over¬ 
estimated. 

The above statements being true, have we not that which will satisfy the great 
want that has been felt throughout the ages, from the time when men became wise 
enough to build houses rather than huts ? Combining the great elements of dura¬ 
bility, availability, the greatest possible protection from atmospheric changes, 
strength of walls as a whole and in all their parts, beauty in color and texture, in 
form and proportion, cheapness, without a sacrifice of any requirement — what 
more can be desired? 

Much might be said in proof of the foregoing remarks, but nothing said or 
written will go so far in satisfying the minds of those interested in the subject, 
as a careful examination of the buildings erected from the Blocks many years 
since. 

We are now prepared to exhibit, for the examination of the public, the machinery, 
process of manufacture, and the product. 

The nature of the business is such as to demand the erection of factories in many 
different parts of the country, and as no one company can do the whole work, we 
offer for sale Rights to manufacture under our Patents, 

mem. 

If largeness and certainty of demand warrant the expectation of profitable remu¬ 
neration for the employment of labor and capital, we offer to the enterprising, 
opportunities for investment, which will most certainly yield large and satisfac¬ 
tory returns. 

We respectfully submit a few certificates and letters from gentlemen who have 
either used the Blocks or have given the subject thorough practical and scientific 
investigation. Some of the names are well known to the public, and stand high 
in their various professions, both in this country and in England. The testimo¬ 
nials from England refer to the same material known there as the “American 
Building Block, Patent,” owned by Bodmar Brothers & Co. 

H. Hudson Holly, Esq., Architect, 111 Broadway, Hew York, who has had 
considerable experience with our Building Block, sends us the following letter : 

111 Broadway, New York, Aug. 19, 1865. 

Gentlemen : In answer to your request for my opinion of your improved Building 
Blocks, I would say, that I have given them a careful and thorough examination, 
and am fully satisfied that for their adaptation for building purposes, their dura¬ 
bility, beauty and cheapness, they possess many advantages over any other mate- 
terial. I commenced using the Poster Block (an article similar to yours, but not 
so good) about eight years since, in a building erected by A. E. Tweedy, Esq., 
at Danbury, Conn. The building was about forty feet square and three stories 
high; it was commenced in the fall of 1857, and the walls were laid up twenty-one 
feet high, and left exposed during the unusually severe winter of 1857-8. In 
the spring, we found the walls all sound and solid, and completed the building 
the following summer. The owner has assured me that not a particle of dampness 
has ever penetrated the walls since it was finished. 

I am now building a church at Darien, Conn., from material manufactured by 
you, which I consider far superior to the Blocks used in Mr. Tweedy’s house. 
This church is to be finished entirely (inside and out) with your Building Block, 
consequently there will be no plastering required, and the interior will have the 
same appearance as if finished in stone. You have succeeded so admirably in 
moulding the ornamental Blocks for this church, that 1 am forced to admit your 


5 


material possesses an adaptation for ornamental work, which renders it peculiarly 
valuable for church buildings and other like purposes. 

I am so well satisfied with my experience and investigation of the merits of your 
.Blocks, that I have decided to use them in the construction of a dwelling for my 
J 1Se ’. w kich ^ am now about building at New Rochelle. I propose, if you 
wil furnish me with the necessary facilities, to erect the entire building, water 
table and lintels, together with all the ornamental work, from your material. 

I am, very respectfully, your obedient servant, 

H. HUDSON HOLLY, Architect. 


TESTIMONIALS. 

REPORT OF THE REV. J. J. SLOCUM, 

To the Executive Committee of the Michigan Female Seminary, 

On the Nature and Properties of the Foster Building Block , with reference to its use in 

construction of said Seminary Buildings. 


The Foster Building Block was patented January 16, 1855. It has since been 
used in different parts of our country to a limited extent, as also in Canada, and 
secured to itself praise or dispraise, as it has been properly or improperly madeffl 

In regard to the manufacture of this Block, it has been delayed for want of a 
moulding and pressing machine that would work with facility and power sufficient 
to impart to the Block the necessary solidity. A practical solution of this diffi¬ 
culty, it is believed, has been discovered. 

The Foster Block is a composition of lime and sand duly proportioned, and then, 
in a moistened state, subjected in a suitable mould to a very severe compression. 
The object is to bring the attenuated hydrate of lime in the best possible relation 
to the sand with which it has been carefully mixed, in order to form both the sili¬ 
cate and the carbonate of lime, which give to the Block its hardness and its stony 
power of endurance. 

The history of mortar composition is altogether in its favor. The oldest struc¬ 
tures of antiquity that yet survive the all but resistless peltings of ages, are the 
witnesses of its power of endurance. It seems to be almost the only thing on 
earth to which a material immortality may be ascribed. The subjoined extract is 
from the learned work on mortar, of Hen. Treussart, translated from the French 
by the present Gfen. Totten, of the United States Engineers. The General is dis¬ 
cussing the subject of making artificial stones. 

On page 160 he says: “There is no doubt in my mind that with good mortar fic¬ 
titious stones may be made which will afford at the end of a year a resistance ap¬ 
proaching that of ordinary brick, and that the strength will go on increasing with 
time. We find in the ‘ Annalee de Ohinrief vol. 37, that Mr. Monge, in visiting 
the ruins of Cesaria, remarked in a temple consecrated to Augustus, that the pil¬ 
lars had wasted away to a great depth, but that the mortar projected. He tried in 





6 


vain to break off a piece; the mortar was of very fine and equal grain; it appeared 
to be composed of fine sand and very little lime, very well mixed.” It is thus 
seen that the only effect of time on good mortar is to harden it. In a letter re¬ 
ceived from the venerable Professor Silliman, of New Haven, he says: ‘‘The ma¬ 
terials— lime and sand—in question, are the best that can be used on a large 
scale for the purpose, and if the same is well worked, and of course not too much 
lime, the result will be a compound, growing harder with every year of exposure 
to the atmosphere.” 

Another point of inquiry is, will the Block, when laid in a large building, sus¬ 
tain the pressure that of necessity comes upon it in such building ? The following, 
from the learned Secretary of the Smithsonian Institute at Washington, is a most 
satisfactory answer to the question. The block from which the square inch was 
taken, was but ten months old. 

Smithsonian Institute , July 24, 1855. 

Mr. F. M. Joslin has submitted to the Smithsonian Institution, a sample of a 
building material which is said to be artificially composed of sand and lime, in the 
proportion of ten parts of the former to one of the latter. 

I certify that this sample of this material submitted by Mr. Joslin, withstood a 
pressure of 5,500 lbs. to the square inch, the experiment being made with cubes 
of one inch and a quarter to the side. 

(Signed) JOSEPH HENRY, 

Secretary Smit/tsonian Institute. 

Now, as the block is 10 inches long, 5 inches wide, and 4 inches thick—it con¬ 
tains 200 cubic inches, so that every man may make his own calculations how much 
an entire unbroken block would sustain. I will only add that the sandstone of 
which the Capitol at Washington is built, sustains 500 pounds to the square inch 
less than the material in question. (See Wells’ Chemistry, in note under the head 
Calcium.) 

Thus we have the two fundamental elements, the power of endurance in regard 
to the vast wear and tear of time, and the capacity of sustaining any reasonable 
amount of superincumbent pressure that it might be desirable to put upon them. 

In regard to the opinion of 3ome of the most learned on the subject of limes and 
mortar, in our land, I submit the following, from Major Bowman, Engineer in 
charge of the Office of Construction, under the U. S. Treasury Department, at 
Washington — a gentleman who combines in his knowledge of limes, mortars and 
cements, the wisdom of science, experience and observation, in a rare degree. 

Treasury Department , May 21, 1858. 

Rev. J. J. Slocum : 

ffeln reply to your question as to my opinion of the relative durability of Foster’s 
Building Block and bricks, I have to say, that I have no experience in the use of 
the former, but think it will prove equal to the best brick — and I am quite sure 
it is superior to the ordinary qualities of brick. 

Very respectfully, your ob’dt serv’t, 

A. H. BOWMAN, 

Major of Engineers , and Engineer in charge Treas. Department. 

The learned and justly celebrated Doctor Torrey, Assayer of the U. S. Treasury 
Department in New York city, agrees with the Major, as follows: 

U. S. Assay Office , New York , May 25, 1858. 

I fully agree with t my friend Major Bowman, expressed above, as to the value 
and durability of the®Foster Building Block, when properly manufactured. 

t JOHN TORREY, 


7 






\ n 
* 


Essentially the same opinion has been expressed by a number of other scientific 
men, who have been consulted on the subject. Perhaps one of them, on account 
of his eminence in the department in question, should be named. Reference is had 
to the learned Chemist and Assayer of Massachusetts, Doctor A. A. Hayes, of Bos¬ 
ton, a gentleman much consulted on such subjects. 

A few of the many facts received confirmatory of the preceding opinions, are 
here added. The following is an extract from a letter addressed to Mr. Foster, 
by Mr. J. Polley. It explains itself: 

Danbury, Conn., Jan. 13, 1859. 

Dear Sir: 

In reply to your inquiry of yesterday, I would say that, so far, my expectations 
have been more than realized. I have completed two houses, with some other 
small jobs. One of the houses I see at a distance every day, the other I pass 
every few hours. I can’t see but they stand as well as though they were stone. 
The large house you speak of is up two stories, with the timbers on, in a shape 
that no building should be left, exposed on all sides, a condition which, if it stands, 
will settle all argument. There were a number of men there yesterday, to see 
what the fall of water did to it the day before, for it more than rained; but they 
were obliged to say that water would not wash it. My opinion is, that water or 
frost is a benefit to the Blocks, as the more they get the harder they become. 

(Signed) J. POLLEY 

The large house referred to in Mr. Polley’s letter is the one alluded to in the fol¬ 
lowing: 

Mr. Slocum: 

Dear Sir —Yours, asking my opinion, as an architect, of the Foster Building 
Block as a building material, is received. 

I would say that I am now erecting a large dwelling house at Danbury, Conn., of 
this material, the walls of which are 30 feet high, and the plan is equal to 40 x 50 
feet on the ground. The walls were finished last fall; the roof will not be put on 
till this spring, so that the bare walls were left exposed all winter, which I con¬ 
sider as giving them a most severe test. Still, upon examination, we find that the 
walls, instead of being injured, are stronger than when we left them last fall. 

Yours, respectfully, 

HUDSON HOLLY, Architect. 

The following extract will also explain itself. I would, however, say, the an¬ 
nexed confirmation of Mr. Topping’s statements was received on Mr. Foster’s ap¬ 
plication after receiving the letter thus attested: 

We, the undersigned, residents of Waterloo and vicinity, having read the an¬ 
nexed letter of Mr. C. D. Topping, cheerfully certify that his statements may be 
fully and implicitly relied upon as the statements of a man ot honor and truth; 
and we further certify, that we have seen the building referred to by him in his 
communication, and that the same seems, in all respects, to answer the description 
of it, given by him therein. 

Dated, Waterloo , Wis., MaylOth, 1858. 

H. C. Mad, W. H. Raynor, A. F. Matice, B. Phelps, mason, W. H. Bancroft, 
Franklin Grills, mason, Z. C. Lardsley, Thomas Winterbothan, mason, Josiah Drew, 
Philander Porter, S. J. Conklin, J. J. Fuller, builder, Gr. Babcock, C. B. Knapp. 

Waterloo , Jefferson Co., Wts., March 30, 1858. 

Ambrose Foster, Esq., N. Y. City: . 

Dear Sir —Not having received a letter from you for a long time, is the reason I 

have not written you. 

Believing a word of encouragement can do you no harm, and as my experience 
is somewhat flattering, I take the liberty of addressing you. I still believe your 
discovery in this new building material to be one of the great, if not the greatest 


8 


discovery of the age. I have had now three years 1 experience in the manufacture 
of your Blocks. I have built me a house which cost me $8,000, with your Blocks. 

My house has been built two years, and it is as perfect as when it was first built; 
not a blemish about it. It is 36 feet square, walls 10 inches thick, 24 feet high. 
Let me mention some of the advantages of your Block: 

1st. It will not take one-eighth of the mortar to plaster, as the first coat can 
be a finishing coat. 

2nd. I find that the plaster becomes a part and parcel of the brick. It cannot 
be scaled oft* even by striking it with a hammer. 

3rd. I can get your brick laid up one-third less than the common brick. 

4th. The walls do not damp or frost through. 

5th. Your brick make the warmest, dryest house I ever saw. 

I can warm my drawing-room, which is 15 by 32 feet, in fifteen minutes. In 
regard to the strength of your brick, there is no doubt in my mind. I believe they 
make a stronger wall than the clay brick. 

I find, also, your brick stand under the ground; the piers under my verandah, 
eleven in number, are set two feet under ground, no stone being used. I have 
never lost a block by exposure to weather, though I have exposed them in every 
possible manner. 

(Signed) C. D. TOPPING. 

What Mr. Topping says in respect to exposing the Block, is confirmed by the tes¬ 
timony of all , so far as we have been able to learn, who have made similar tests. 

The following is extracted from a letter addressed by George Tate, Esq., Chief 
Engineer of the Grand Trunk Railway, of Canada, to Wm. Wallace, Esq., Chief 
Engineer of the International Bridge, Fort Erie. Speaking of the Foster Block, 
he says: 

11 1 have to state, that, during the last winter (1856-’57) I have exposed some of 
the Blocks made by Mr. Headly, to moisture first and heat alternately, several 
times during a period of six weeks in the months of January and February; they 
stood the test well, which was a severe one.” 

But the test, as applied by Mr. Foster, as he states, is one of much greater sever¬ 
ity than that of Mr. Tate. He took a Block, and when dried, weighed it, and 
then caused it to absorb all the water it would, noting accurately the quantity ab¬ 
sorbed. It was then put out to freeze through the night, and while hard frozen in 
the morning, placed on a hot coal stove for the day, or until it was not only thawed, 
but thoroughly dried. This process was daily repeated for fourteen days and 
nights, the weather being very cold during the whole time. The result was, that 
the Block daily absorbed a diminished quantity of water, and steadily increased, 
both in weight and hardness; so that, at the end of the experiment, its increase in 
weight was a large ounce, while the increase of its hardness was greater than ever 
known by him during the same period of time on any other Block. Another gen¬ 
tleman started with a Block and a hard-burned clay brick in the same process of 
trial; but the clay brick gave way in the first day’s trial. 

The subjoined estimates and remarks, though not in each case minutely accurate, 
are, nevertheless, sufficiently so for our present purpose. 

To erect our Seminary Building, it would take 1,640,625 Blocks, which would 
equal 5,156,250 of the brick; without entering into minute details, it is sufficient 
to sajq that such are our very marked facilities and circumstances in respect to 
to water, steam power, lime and choice sand, together with the donated right, 
that we can erect our building at a cost not exceeding that of common brick, espe¬ 
cially if we consider the saving of some 83,385 in mortar alone — it requiring but 
five bushels per thousand to lay the Blocks. 

In the matter of lathing and plastering, we should also make a saving of some 


9 


S3,000. A thin coat of hard finish put on the inner surface of the Block, is all that 
would be required to make the neatest, most beautiful and durable of all plastered 
walls. All our principal partition walls might thus be made, in place of studding, 
lathing and plastering, as not only far more desirable, but cheaper. In so large a 
building as ours, containing not less than 200 rooms, this is a matter of no small 
magnitude. It would greatly help to make the building proof against fire, while 
it would be certain proof against all the annoying animals, four-footed and other¬ 
wise, that so frequently reside in our partition walls. 

The Block is a poor conductor of caloric, and it is so constructed with an oblong 
opening in the centre, as to secure a column of confined air, over an inch thick, 
within the laid-up wall. Now, as air is one of the most perfect non-conductors, it 
follows, of course, that a wall constructed of such brick would be of a like charac¬ 
ter. From this fact several desirable consequences would result. First, a build¬ 
ing thus constructed would require much less fuel to keep it warm in winter, than 
if built of either clay, brick or stone, as the heat could not pass off through the 
walls of the former, as through those of the latter. And for the same reason it 
would be much cooler in summer, inasmuch as its walls would refuse admission to 
its accumulated heat. Hence, too, would result a more equable atmosphere within 
doors, as also a much dryer one, both of which are greatly conducive of vigorous 
health and consequent comfort to the occupants thereof. This is a matter of prime 
importance to us who are erecting a home for a family of more than three hundred 
ladies. 

In its external appearance, the Foster Block makes a building of unsurpassed 
beauty. This is conceded by all who have seen any such buildings. 

The sand used gives to the Block its own shade of color, very slightly modified 
by the lime with which it is united. We have beds of pure sand of all shades from 
white to dark gray. Hence we can give to our brick any tint of color we please, 
especially by the aid of a little metallic coloring matter. 

In regard to durability the common clay brick can bear but a very poor compari¬ 
son with the Foster Block, if rightly made. And, indeed, this Block would seem 
to be so susceptible of being so made, as to be, in this respect, without a rival in 
any other known building material; for atmospheric exposure, which corrodes and 
decomposes even the most solid marble and granite, exerts a directly opposite 
effect on this, as seen in the old mortars of Egypt, Greece and Rome. And, in¬ 
deed, no reason can be assigned why Blocks rightly manufactured from good mate¬ 
rial, and rightly put up in a building, should not form themselves into a single 
block of stone, like the Pyramids, pillars, and other structures of monumental 
antiquity. 

Now, if these things be so, (and it is impossible for me, after the researches I 
have made, and as at present enlightened, to doubt their essential correctness,) then 
the use of the Foster Block would give us a building every way superior to one 
erected of common brick. 

Hence my reasons for earnestly recommending its adoption in place of common 
clay brick. 

Respectfully submitted by the 

Rev. J. J. SLOCUM, 

Director of Michigan Female Seminary , and Member of Executive Committee . 

Kalamazoo, Michigan, 1858. 

The Large Dwelling House, in Danbury, Conn., mentioned by the Architect, 
Hudson Holly, Esq, in Report, is owned by A. E. Tweedy, Esq., and has been 


10 


erected three years. It has given perfect satisfaction , not only to the architect, 
builder and owner, but also to hundreds of admiring visitors, who have never 
failed to award to it that meed of praise it so justly deserves for its substantial char¬ 
acter and fine architectural effect. 

Danbury , Conn., June 27, 1859. 

Mr. D. J. Riker: 

Sir — Yours of 25th ult. is received, requesting my opinion in regard to the 
utility and durability of the Foster Block, from which my house is built. 

I can cheerfully recommend it for almost any style of building, if properly made 
and from suitable material. I first saw the Blocks made here two years since, and 
put up my walls during the summer and fall of ’51. I laid the walls to attic floor 
timbers, and left them (after covering the top temporarily with boards) exposed to 
the weather during the winter and spring following. Last summer I completed the 
building. I think the Blocks were thoroughly tested by exposure to water and 
frost, or all kinds of weather that our climate is subject to. I can truly say that 
there were less imperfections from the exposure to the winter than there would 
have been to common clay-burnt brick. I consider the only difficulty in making 
them is that the right materials should be used. There have been some failures by 
attempting to use sand that was mixed with loam; any other mixture than pure 
sand, lime or cement, will not answer. My house is, main body, 40 feet square; 
kitchen about 24x28 feet; main body, 28 feet high; kitchen, 22 feet high, with 
large openings for bay windows, doors, and other windows. It has been satisfac¬ 
tory, and is generally admired by others. 

Respectfully yours, , 

A. E. TWEEDY. 

[Note. —There is now (1866) some twenty buildings erected at Danbury from 
this Block — including one large church. ] 


Chicago , March 30, 1867. 

Geo. E. Vanderburgh, Esq., President of the American Building Block Company 
of New York City. 

Dear Sir —At your request, I most cheerfully give you my opinion as to the 
durability and applicability of the American Building Block as made under the 
Foster Patents, together with your improved patents for the same material. 

I have, for the past six months, watched the operation of manufacturing the 
blocks which have been made in this city for the new Hall of the Young Men’s 
Christian Association. Having charge of said building as architect, I have made 
designs for a moulded cornice both for the exterior and interior. I find the material 
well adapted to mould to almost any given outline that may be desired for such 
purposes. It is also susceptible of being highly embellished in architectural 
carved work. 

As to its durability, I have but one opinion, and that is, if the material is properly 
made, there is no more durable material for building purposes now known. 

The tests that I have exposed the blocks to, the past winter, have been very 
severe. Thousands of the blocks were piled compactly, late in December, 
fresh made, where they have remained all winter exposed to the storms and severe 
frosts of the past severe winter—the bottom courses of which were imbedded in 
water and ice. I find the blocks most exposed during the winter, now the best 
blocks. 

I have had over one hundred thousand of the blocks laid in the building men¬ 
tioned, since Dec. 20th, 1866 ; most of the time the mortar would freeze them 
together as soon as laid, yet the wall is very permanent and the blocks are growing 
harder and harder. 

I have also examined walls of buildings built of the original Foster Block some 
eleven years since, which are very substantial and as hard as our best building 
stone. 

I shall take pleasure in recommending the material for building purposes in 
all its various forms. Yours, etc., 

WM. W. BOYINGTON, Architect. 


11 


Chicago , Jan. 17, 1867. 

George E. Vanderburg, Esq., President of the■“ American Building Block Co.,” 
New York. 

Dear Sir —I cheerfully comply with your request, and submit for your use my 
views of the “ American Building Block.” We are using some 130,000 of them 
in the erection of the new Hall for the “Young Men’s Christian Association,” of 
this city, of which I am Superintendent. These Blocks were made here, and were 
critically inspected during the process of manufacture, and watched with anxiety, 
through the severe winter justpassed. The test to which they have been exposed 
has been very severe, and most satisfactory, removing from the minds of those 
most interested and skeptical, all apprehensions for their permanence and ability to 
withstand the frosts and snows of this extreme climate. The moulded blocks of 
ashlar size, for the outer and inner ornamental cornicing of the hall, are very exact 
in outline and beautiful in color, and have already won for the manufacture a good 
reputation. 

Other important buildings, with elegant adornments, are soon to be erected in 
this city by capitalists, who admire their beauty, permanence and economy. 

The general introduction of these Blocks, will form an important era in the 
history of architectural finish, utility and safety. 

Buildings erected from them will be as beautiful as those from the marbles, 
while they excel in sharpness of angles and durability. 

Studding, furring and lathing are dispensed with entirely, and only one coat of 
plastering is required, viz., the hard finishing coat. This secures a smooth and 
most perfect wall, without danger of cracking, and never to become a refuge for 
vermin. Walls laid with these hollow blocks ensure dryness and warmth, and 
must lessen the rates of fire insurance. 

The composition of the Block with sand and lime, or cement, or both, ranks it 
at once, with the mortars, which are known to be the most imperishable of all 
building materials, not excepting iron or granite. 

Mortars, it is well known, remain through the ages, intact from the effect of 
chemical and atmospheric agencies; while granite, limestone and iron disintegrate, 
corrode and perish. 

Believing, as I do, in the real merits of your Block, I cannot doubt their early 
introduction to popular favor. 

Wishing you the success your enterprise deserves, 

I am truly, etc., 

J. B. STILLSON, Civil Engineer. 

Boston , Jan. 10, 1867, 

Mr. W. T. Bartlett, Agent of American Building Block Co. 

Sir —I am very much obliged to you for sending me so many samples of your 
Building Blocks. I was long since fully convinced of the durability and economy 
of the material, and I am now more than ever satisfied with the variety and rich¬ 
ness of color of which it is susceptible. 

In an edifice which I built of this material last year, I had abundant opportu¬ 
nity for watching its manufacture and the effect of the weather upon it both in 
and out of the building, and its entire fitness and beauty as a building material 
were so apparent, that I have not hesitated to recommend its adoption whenever I 
have had an opportunity. 

Hoping that you will freely use my name for reference whenever it can be of any 
service to you. I remain yours, truly, 

W. RALPH EMERSON, Architect. 

New York , Jan. 3, 1867. 

Mr. Wm. Radclifp, Secretary of the American Building Block Co. 

Dear Sir —In compliance with your request that I would give you my profes¬ 
sional opinion of the merits of the American Building Block, I take pleasure in 
stating that chemical analysis proves the American Building Block to be composed 
of those substances which make granite and marble durable and strong, while it is 
free from those that under atmospheric influences contribute to the destruction of 
the stones above named; this circumstance has the effect of increasing the strength 
and durability of the American Building Block as it grows older. 

This fact is fully 'confirmed by the careful examination of Blocks which have 


12 


been in buildings for several years; again, Blocks manufactured within a few months 
and used in the construction of a church in Newark, New Jersey, have not been 
in the least affected by the frosts, thaws and rains to which they have been exposed 
for some weeks past. I am convinced that the American Building Block forms a 
very superior material for the construction of public and private buildings in city 
and in country, while the perfect control which the manufacturer has over the 
color of the block, makes it very desirable for interior decorations. 

I remain, very respectfully, your obedient servant, 

F. A. PETERSEN, Architect , 5^ Pine street. 

Bergen Hill, N. J., Jan. 4,1867. 

Wm. Radcliff, Esq., New York. 

Dear Sir —In reply to your inquiries as to the result of my experience in the 
use of the American Building Block, I give it as my opinion, that taking into 
account economy, durability and beauty, these stone blocks are much superior 
to any other known material for building, and that their general introduction will 
constitute the most important advance of modern architecture. All of which I, 
of course, hold myself prepared to demonstrate. 

J. C. MARKHAM, Architect. 


ENGLISH TESTIMONIALS. 


AMERICAN BUILDING BLOCKS. 


These Blocks are combined of sand and lime, treated according to the patents of 
the American Building Block Company, and recommend themselves by their cor¬ 
rect shape and true surface, and more especially by the property they possess of 
gradually increasing in hardness and remaining unaffected by atmospheric changes. 
They have been used extensively in England, where they are manufactured on a 
large scale by Bodmar Brothers & Co., and have given general satisfaction, as will 
be seen by the following testimonials: 

7 Quality Court , Chancery Lane , Jan. 22, 1861. 

Gentlemen: In accordance with your request, that I should give you my profes¬ 
sional opinion upon the merits of your Patent Building Blocks in a more condensed 
form than that embodied in my report dated the 18th of January, 1861, I have 
much pleasure in stating that I consider your Patent Stone Bricks to be a perfectly 
sound and trustworthy building material. 

Owing to the chemical action which arises in the materials of which your Bricks 
are composed, they gradually and permanently indurate or harden, and become 
more and more impermeable to moisture; and the atmospheric influences, so far 
from affecting them injuriously, tend, on the contrary, to accelerate this process, 
and to improve them. 

I am, Gentlemen, your obedient servant, 

DUGALD CAMPBELL, 
Analytical Chemist to the Brompton Hospital , etc. 

Newport, Sept. 13, 1862. 

Gentlemen: Having used your Patent Stone Bricks for some considerable time, 
I most willingly bear my testimony to their good qualities — especially in the fol¬ 
lowing particulars: First, their perfect uniformity of shape, enabling the skilled 




t / 


l 



workman to make a beautiful and even surface to his work, and which fits them 
for being used to the dispensing of plastering in places where, otherwise, plaster¬ 
ing would be required. Secondly, their continually hardening properties. My 
experience of them, in this particular, certainly proves that those which have been 
used the longest, and have been most exposed, have become the hardest. They 
possess, likewise, this quality, of being perfectly safe from the action of frost. 
During the severe frost of the winter of I860— 1 61, I gave them, in this matter, my 
particular attention, and found them, without exception, perfectly satisfactory. I 
have, therefore, great pleasure in recommending them for general use. 

I am, Gentlemen, yours truly, 

GEORGE JONES, Builder, etc. 

Newport, Monmouthshire , Sept. 13, 1862. 

Gentlemen : I have at various times used considerable quantities of your Patent 
Stone Bricks, and have much pleasure in stating that, in my opinion, you have 
succeeded in manufacturing a Brick which possesses those qualities that are most 
important in a building material. In the first place, your Patent Stone Brick is 
so accurate in shape that much less mortar is used than with the ordinary clay 
bricks, and walls can be built with such a smooth and even surface that no subse¬ 
quent plastering is required. 

Secondly, your Bricks increase in hardness the longer they are exposed to the 
action of the atmosphere, and consequently continually improve in quality. I have 
also found, thirdly, that the severest frost has no injurious effect whatever upon 
them. I can, therefore, conscientiously recommend them for all purposes. 

WTLLIAM WILLIAMS, Builder and Contractor. 

•f'il'; • ,.!» * 

Pillgwenlly Iron Foundry, Newport, Monmouthshire, Sept. 26, 1862. 

Gentlemen: It is with pleasure I give you my candid opinion of your Stone 
Bricks. I have seen them used in many places. They stand the weather so well, 
and look so well in the work, that I firmly believe they will exceed all other bricks 
for building. Yours truly, 

CHARLES JORDAN, 

Ironfounder and Engineer. 

Cambrian Iron Foundry, Newport, Monmouthshire, Sept. 29, 1862. 

Dear Sirs: I can with pleasure bear testimony to the quality of your Bricks. I 
have used them for several building purposes; and find them to answer remark¬ 
ably well. Yours truly, 

THOMAS SPITTLE, 

Ironfounder and Engineer. 

Raglan, Oct. 2, 1862. 

Gentlemen: I have great pleasure in bearing testimony to your Patent Stone 
Bricks, recommended to me by Mr. T. E. Williams, C. E., of this place. 

Those I have used have a remarkably smooth and fine appearance; they are cer¬ 
tainly getting much harder and more stone-like every day. 

I am, Gentlemen, yours respectfully, 

JOHN JONES. 

Raglan, October 2, 1862. 

Gentlemen: I have paid particular attention to your Stone Bricks. I think this 
is a step in the right direction —their smoothness and exact form enable the builder 
to erect very unique walls with good effect, and if mixed with red Bricks, gives 
the architect an opportunity of showing a variety of taste in his design. I think 
they cannot fail to become general. 

I am, Gentlemen, yours respectfully, 

DAYID LEWIS, Builder, etc., etc. 

Dos Works, Neivport, Monmouthshire, Oct. 21, 1862. 

Gentlemen: The Patent Bricks I received of you in the autumn of last year, 
with a view of testing their quality, have quite answered my expectations. They 


14 


were principally used in building gate-piers and quoins, for which they are partic¬ 
ularly adapted, being of a true uniform shape and smooth surface. Their color 
also (similar to ordinary stucco), constitutes them a good and cheap substitute for 
free-stone facings, and after a few months 1 exposure they become quite hard. Those 
I refer to were made of the blue lias lime and good sharp sand, and I should recom¬ 
mend you to use no other kind of material. 

I am, Gentlemen, yours very truly, 

EDWARD LOCKE, Engineer . 


Raglan , Nov. 2, 1862. 

Gentlemen: For the last five years I have closely watched the manufacture and 
progress of your Patent Stone Bricks, and I feel pleasure in bearing testimony to 
their superiority over other building bricks. 

The Patent Stone Brick is perfectly symmetrical, and owing to its accurate shape 
is easily laid and requires very little mortar in the joints. Its peculiarly smooth 
surface and sharp edges place it on a footing with Bath stone for appearance, whilst 
it is decidedly superior to it as regards durability. 

Your Bricks harden very quickly under water, and are, therefore, well adapted 
for hydraulic purposes. Some three years ago, a well was built under my super¬ 
vision, with very new and unripe Bricks; which, however, on examining them 
lately, I found to be not only unimpaired, but perfectly hard. I may also mention 
that, on putting one of your Bricks, about four years old, to the test, I found its 
capacity for bearing pressure equal to that of fire-bricks. 

When the superior qualities of your Patent Stone Bricks, as a building material, 
become more generally known, you cannot fail to have a great demand for them. 

I am, Gentlemen, yours truly, 

THOMAS WILLIAMS, C. E. 


Rumsey House, Kidwelly, Carmarthenshire, July 27, 1865. 

Dear Sirs: It is now over two years since I first used Bodmars 1 Patent Stone 
Bricks, and, for trueness of make, durability and pleasing appearance, I do not 
think they can be equaled, and wherever they have been used have always given 
satisfaction. I am, Dear Sirs, yours truly, 

T. W. A. EVANS, Architect . 

12 Bartholomew Road , Kentish Town, London, July 28, 1865. 

Dear Sirs: Before adopting Bodmars 1 Patent Bricks, I was desirous of fully 
testing them, and with this view saturated them with water and afterwards ex¬ 
posed them to the repeated influence of frost and thaw for one entire winter. I 
have also carefully observed that neither heat nor cold, wind or weather, have any 
injurious effect upon them. From their chemical composition, I was led to con¬ 
clude that age would only tend to give them increased hardness, and this I find 
fully borne out by my experience of them. 

I am convinced they have a much greater power of resisting any crushing force 
than any of the ordinary building bricks, and shall always use them in any of my 
works where the distance from the manufactory does not prove an obstacle. 

I consider them a valuable addition to our building materials, as they give in¬ 
creased facility for neat and effective work, combined with an admirable tone of 
color. I am, Dear Sirs, yours truly, 

WM. A. DIXON, Architect. 


Tredegar Park, (near Newport,) Mon., July 31, 1865. 

Sir: I can recommend Bodmars 1 Patent Bricks to be good and durable. I have 
proved them to stand all weather. 


RICHARD RAINE, 

Surveyor of Works for Lord Tredegar. 


Commercial Wharf, Newport , Mon., July 31, 1865. 

Dear Sirs: For some years I have used Bodmars 1 Patent Stone Brieks, and 
have, therefore, had many opportunities of intimately seeing them in all weathers 
and in all positions, and I have no hesitation in strongly recommending them as 


15 


first-class building materials, and infinitely superior to the ordinary red bricks in 
every respect, and more especially so if required for decorative purposes. 

I am, obediently yours, 

WILLIAM JONES, Builder, etc. 

6 Bock Street, Newport, Mon., July 31, 1865. ’ 

Gentlemen: In reply to your inquiry, I beg to say that I was about one of the 
first masons in Newport to use Bodmars’ Patent Bricks, and I am satisfied that they 
are exceedingly durable, that they constantly harden, and that they are not affected 
by any change in the weather. 

I am, Gentleman, yours truly, 

JOHN WILLIAMS, Builder. 

38 Bloomsbury Square, London, and Park Square, Newport, Aug. 7, 1865. 

Dear Sirs: Messrs. Habershon & Pite have specified Bodmars’ Patent Bricks in 
several of the buildings designed by them, and the work has been exceedingly 
satisfactory. The more they are exposed to the action of the atmosphere, the 
harder they appear to get; their evenness of surface and uniformity in color com¬ 
mend them strongly, and the readiness with which they can be shaped to any form, 
makes them a very valuable addition to the building material of the neighborhood. 

From the tests they have undergone, they are proved to be exceedingly durable 
and strong. 

We are using them to a large extent in the works now in progress. 

Yours truly, 

J. FOLLETT FAWCKNER, Architect. 

Newport , Mon., Aug. 7, 1865. 

Dear Sirs: I have much pleasure in informing you that Messrs. Bodmars’ Patent 
Bricks have given me great satisfaction. I had a quantity of them exposed in my 
yard during a very severe winter, and they were not hurt in the slightest degree, 
their evenness and regularity of size and shape render them peculiarly adapted for 
outside walls, and they have, from the material of which they are composed, a natu¬ 
ral tendency to harden by exposure. 

I am, dear sirs, yours faithfully, 

THOMAS RICHARDS, Builder. 

Bock Street , Newport, Mon., August 11, 1865. 1 

Dear Sirs: In reply to your inquiry, I have used Bodmars’ Patent Bricks in 
a great number of instances, and the result has been perfectly satisfactory. 

The color is pleasing, the Bricks are sharp and true, and I find that exposure to 
the atmosphere has a hardening and seasoning effect upon them. 

As long as they continue to bear the above qualities I shall continue to use them. 

Your obedient servant, 

SAMUEL HANCORN, Architect. 

Alma Street, Newport, Mon., August 18, 1865. 

Gentlemen: I have much pleasure in stating that I have for several years past 
used quantities of Bodmars’ Patent Stone Bricks, and that they have always given 
great satisfaction. 

Their pleasing appearance, rendering plastering unnecessary, is very strongly in 
their favor. 

I can safely recommend them as a good and safe building material. 

I am obediently yours, 

JONAH FRANCIS, Builder, etc. 

7 Tredegar Place, Newport, Monmouthshire, August 18, 1865. 

Dear Sirs: I have great pleasure in bearing testimony to the merits of your 
“Patent Stone Bricks,” which have, in regard to durability and general fitness, 
exceeded my anticipations. 

You would be glad to know that those I had of you nearly five years ago for the 
terrace walls, piers and parapet, at my own house, are as clean and sharp as when 


16 


first used; they have become much harder than the stone of the mouldings, and 
there is no sign of decay by efflorescence or disintegration. 

I have used them often since then, but more particularly for entirely lining the 
interior, and forming the partitions of a pair of cottages at Maindee. I consider 
them admirably adapted for this purpose, and had them carefully set in very fine 
mortar, so that, when finished, the face was as fair as if it had been plastered. 
The whole of the interior was papered on them, and when I last saw the cottages 
all was in excellent preservation. 

I am satisfied as to their durability, and believe that eventually they will super¬ 
sede the ordinary clay brick for general purposes. 

Yours truly, BENJAMIN LAWRENCE, Architect. 

Dock Street , Newport , Mon., August 19, 1865. 

Gentlemen: I can with pleasure bear testimony to the favorable opinion I enter¬ 
tain of Bodmars’ Patent Bricks, having used them in several buildings, and I am 
fully satisfied with the result. I shall require them to be used in future works. 

Yours obediently, A. 0. WATKINS, Architect. 

Dock Street , Newport, Mon., August 24, 1865. 

Gentlemen: From the first introduction of your Patent Stone Bricks, I have 
taken a lively interest in them; knowing their composition, manufactured from the 
best lime in England, and other materials, causing the production of one of the 
best and most useful commodities in the building trade. 1 have tested them by soak¬ 
ing them in water for one week, and then having them exposed for a week in the 
severest frost. I am sure if they were more generally known they would speedily 
displace the use of common bricks for the purposes of exposure, where common 
bricks will not stand the effects of the atmosphere. I have used them since the 
year 1857, and the oftener I use them the more I am pleased with them. 

I remain, Gentlemen, yours truly, 

DAVID PROSSER, Builder, etc. 

Steam Planing and Sawing Mills, ) 

Commercial Street, Newport, Mon., August 26, 1865. \ 

Gentlemen: In reply to your inquiry I have much pleasure in stating that I have 
used large quantities of Bodmars’ Patent Stone Bricks for the last seven years, or, 
I may say, ever since they were first introduced in Newport by the manufacturers, 
and I find that they answer all purposes admirably well. They have a pleasing 
appearance, and improve in hardness and durability by the action of the weather. 

I have just now finished a contract for His Grace, the Duke of Beaufort — the 
erection of the Newport Market — in which I have used nearly 100,000, and they 
have given great satisfaction. 

I am, Gentlemen, yours obediently, 

HENRY P. BOLT. 



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